closed captioning

In broadcast and cable television, the insertion, into the blank lines between frames, of information that may be decoded and displayed on the screen as written words corresponding to those being spoken and transmitted via the conventional audio subcarrier. Note: Closed captioning, developed for the hearing-impaired, requires a special decoder, which may be external to, or built into, the television receiver. Closed captioning is mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

A service for persons with hearing disabilities that translates television program dialog into written words on the television screen.